handmade
NEW! Copeland Catalina Modern Dining Furniture Set
Manjula just published a new Copeland dining set yesterday: it's the Catalina Mid Century Modern Collection.
If you're looking for authentic, solid walnut, fine dining furniture, have a look at Catalina. This Copeland set is 100% handmade in America– right here in Vermont.
It's designed with mid-century modern style, including clean unadorned lines and retro-modern shapes and sensibilities. Manjula has arranged our Catalina dining set to make it easy to price and purchase dozens of combinations of tables, chairs and buffets. You can use drop-down menus to price out different choices for arm chairs, side chairs, extension table versus solid top table and buffet sizes.
Customers receive free DIY shipping and discounted white glove shipping when purchasing this furniture as a set so the savings can be substantial. We also offer a lifetime guarantee and a low price guarantee. If you're considering Catalina or any other Copeland furniture I recommend you check out our Top 10 Reasons to Buy Copeland Furniture at Vermont Woods Studios. It really does make a difference where you buy.
Drop us a note below or on our Facebook to let us know how you like Catalina and the many other beautiful furniture collections Copeland crafts right here in Vermont.
Why Back Fine Furniture With A Lifetime Guarantee?
Because this is back-to-school time, most of the furniture sold in August and September is sort of disposable… you know what I meant, right? Even Kendall (I'm embarassed to say) had to make an emergency trip to Ikea to pick up a portable bookshelf for his dorm room.
Most people just assume that the furniture they buy is going to be on the curbside in 5-10 years. It's part of the "planned obsolescence" strategy which ensures furniture stores that future sales will be strong.
So why, at Vermont Woods Studios are we selling heirloom quality, fine furniture that's backed by a lifetime guarantee? It probably seems foolish to many.
But quite honestly, here's the reason why: Heather's taken three orders today from repeat customers who love their Vermont made furniture. It's the real thing and there's nothing quite like it.
In an age when few things last for decades (let alone generations) we're proud to be selling Vermont made furniture and it seems only fair to back up our promise of quality with a lifetime guarantee.
If a lifetime guarantee on fine furniture is important to you, how 'bout letting us know on our Facebook?
Cherry Veneers: Six Furniture Collections That Bring Out Their Best
Yesterday I wrote about our solid cherry furniture so today I wanted to follow up with a post about the furniture we carry that incorporates cherry veneers.
Sometimes customers come to us, initially averse to veneer but once they take a closer look they often change their minds. I realize veneers have been given a negative connotation by companies that stick them on particle board to make cheap furniture.
But did you know that premium quality, high end veneers are used by some of the world's most skilled furniture makers to add artistic flair and style to their work?
This is the case with the following six high end furniture collections:
Copeland Sarah Shaker Furniture
These furniture collections are made with all solid cherry wood except for the sides and backs of case goods. Real wood veneer is used for case goods (chests, dressers, cabinets, night stands) sides and backs for esthetic and structural design reasons. The pieces are made with frame and panel type construction and the use of solid wood in this design might cause the panels to warp in conditions of changing humidity.
As solid wood furniture specialists at Vermont Woods Studios, we spend a lot of time discussing the specifics of solid wood versus veneered construction methods with our customers. Details for each of our collections are found in our Construction Details pages. We welcome your comments and questions either below, on our Facebook, by phone or in person at our Vernon VT showroom.
Solid Cherry Furniture: 18 American Made Collections From Vermont
At Vermont Woods Studios, solid cherry furniture has always been our specialty. Although most of our craftspeople routinely work in walnut, maple and oak too, cherry continues to be the favorite wood amongst our customers. And many are specifically looking for all solid cherry wood, rather than cherry with veneers.
For those customers I thought it might be helpful to compile a current list of all the furniture collections we offer in solid cherry wood. Here you go– all 18 of them:
Contemporary Craftsman Furniture
Smith Natural Vermont Furniture
Each of these collections is handmade here in VT with solid wood throughout (except the backs of some case goods*). Sometimes our photos show the furniture in walnut or maple, but you can use the drop down menus to select cherry wood. Details regarding how these furniture sets are built can be found on our Construction Details pages where you'll find specifics on joinery, drawer slides, hardware options, premium wood selection, finishing methods, etc.
Tomorrow, I'll post about cherry furniture that incorporates veneers. Got questions? Give us a call or post them on our Facebook.
* The backs of case goods in some of these collections are made of furniture grade plywood. This choice is based on the stability of plywood, versus solid woods which expand and contract with varying humidity levels. There are many structural and design details involved in a craftsman's decision to use solid wood versus plywood. Please check our Construction Details pages for specifics.
American Made Bedroom Furniture Sale Starts Today
At Vermont Woods Studios beds and bedroom furniture pieces are some of the most popular pieces we offer.
Now during our bedroom sale is a great time to furnish or update your bedroom with our 100% American Made, real wood Bedroom Furniture. You'll save 10% off any single piece, 15% off two pieces or 20% off 3 or more pieces (plus Free Delivery).
Create your own bedroom set with over 40 bed style options, plus dozens of nightstand, chest and dresser options.
Classic and timeless Vermont styling, handmade with uncompromised craftsmanship, and solidly built for generations of use. Real wood bedroom furniture you will appreciate and enjoy forever. And you can sleep tight knowing your new bedroom furniture investment is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Check out our bedroom sale and get started shopping for your new bed, nightstands, chests, dressers, and mirrors securely, easily, and conveniently directly from our online store.
* Excludes Copeland, Artisan, Barnwood & Polywood furniture. This Sale ends at midnight on August 21st.
Fine Furniture Characteristics: Solid Wood vs Veneers
Typically Vermont furniture can be distinguished from other American made furniture or imported furniture by the extensive use of real, solid wood. American Black Cherry is the wood most often used in Vermont furniture although sugar maple, black walnut, oak and other local species are also popular.
At Vermont Woods Studios we represent woodworkers and fine furniture makers from all across the Green Mountain State so our furniture reflects a wide variety of styles, designs and crafting techniques. Some of our furniture makers work exclusively with all solid wood construction and others employ the use of veneers. So customers often ask us about the difference between the two techniques.
Honestly, with all of our handmade furniture, heirloom quality is the bottom line and that can be achieved using all solid wood construction or with the incorporation of premium quality, high end veneers.
Although Vermont is best known for our all solid wood construction, we have several craftsmen who prefer to incorporate high quality veneers into their designs. This is done when veneers are the best choice for a particular design, rather than simply the most economical choice. For instance, the curved back panel of the Copeland Catalina Bed must be a veneer because it would be structurally impossible to build it out of solids. Copeland's framed panels, that is panels surrounded on all four sides, are often made of high grade, veneered plywood because in these instances, a solid panel would have the potential to expand and break the frame apart during periods of high humidity.
Plywood is considerably stronger than solids of equal dimension and some furniture makers choose them for Case Backs and Drawer Bottoms for that reason. On each of our furniture product pages you will find a link to the construction details for that product. We urge you to read through the information presented and give us a call with your questions. For the furniture on our website, you will find that when veneers are used, they are the the best choice for the design.
After all this discussion about veneers however, I can say that most of our furniture is still designed and constructed with all real solid wood, sustainably harvested in Vermont or neighboring states. If this is an important feature for you, give us a all and let us know. We'll help you find the right handmade solid wood furniture for your home.
Buying Fine Furniture Online: Top 3 Tips For A Successful Purchase
When I started Vermont Woods Studios seven years ago, most people told me that no one in their right mind would consider buying expensive fine furniture online. But I would. And I figured I was not the only one who preferred researching my purchases on my own rather than being "sold to" in a traditional furniture store.
If you're one of those people too, I'll offer some advice to help with your research. Although we were one of the first, there are now literally hundreds of online stores selling fine furniture. So here are my Top 3 Tips for Buying Fine Furniture Online:
BUY FROM A FINE FURNITURE SPECIALIST
Amazon, Ebay, YLiving, Sears, Wayfair and most big online stores carry "fine furniture". But they also carry watches, silverware, desk accessories, umbrellas and cough drops. So do you really trust them to know anything about your investment in fine furniture? I don't think so. Honestly there are so many things that can go wrong with a fine furniture purchase– you need to deal with someone who anticipates all possible issues involved in ordering, customizing, shipping and delivering your furniture. Someone who will be immediately accessible and responsive if you get home from work and find a soaking wet box containing your new table or dresser on your doorstep. Someone who will have already discussed delivery logistics with you such that something like that simply doesn't happen.
ORDER WHITE GLOVE SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
Many online "fine furniture" stores offer base prices that either do not include shipping or include "curbside shipping", which literally means the furniture is brought to your curb and you bring it into the house yourself. Alternatively "white glove" shipping and delivery services bring your new furniture into your home, unpack it, assemble it, help you inspect it for possible shipping damage and remove the packaging materials. You need this service not only to save your back and make sure your assembly is correct but also as a sort of "insurance policy" against shipping damage. Even if it costs a couple hundred dollars extra, trust me– it's worth it.
GET A LIFETIME GUARANTEE
High quality, wood furniture makers offer a lifetime guarantee on their fine furniture– period. This is your peace of mind regarding quality, especially when you're buying online. It takes the risk out of the deal. If you're investing a substantial amount of money in fine wood furniture and your store won't guarantee it, go somewhere else. Legitimate online fine furniture stores will offer the guarantee if you ask for it.
For more tips and advice on buying fine furniture online, visit our website and maybe even consider the Top 10 Reasons to Purchase Fine Furniture from Vermont Woods Studios.
Walnut Furniture: Is It Made With Real Solid Wood?
Walnut furniture has been one of our best sellers this year, in spite of the fact that there is a 10-30% premium on the wood. Walnut wood is becoming rare (due to a disease called Thousand Cankers) so we are super careful about making sure ours is sustainably harvested from forests where re-planting is well managed.
We use a couple different types of American walnut wood for our furniture.
For thick, organic slab tables we often use claro walnut wood from huge old (up to 100 years) shade trees that have been taken down (usually from city streets) because of safety reasons. These slabs typically have beautiful, interesting character resulting from things like burls and branches.
For modern looking furniture, customers generally do not want "character wood" so we use younger walnut trees with straight grain patterns grown in managed forests in the mid-west (since walnut doesn't grow well in Vermont). This is the contemporary SoHo walnut 4 drawer chest, made by Copeland Furniture with solid, walnut wood.
Whether you're shopping for organic, walnut slab tables or Modern walnut furniture, it's important to verify that you are indeed getting real, solid walnut wood, as opposed to cheaper woods that have been stained dark to look like walnut. Be sure to ask your salesperson to confirm the wood type and its origin before you buy. Ask if the furniture has been made from solid walnut wood or walnut veneers.
Learn more about walnut wood and see photos of beautiful walnut furniture on our website. If you take the time to find real solid walnut furniture as opposed to what most stores call "walnut" you'll probably have that furniture for a lifetime. Enjoy it!
Cherry Furniture: Top Five Things To Know Before You Buy
Vermont is America's "go to" store for authentic Cherry Wood Furniture. Cherry has been the wood of choice for hundreds of Vermont craftsmen for decades.
Whereas most of the big "American" furniture companies have outsourced their wood furniture manufacturing to Asia and Latin America, Vermont companies (with the exception of Ethan Allen, unfortunately) have remained here in the USA.
Vermont cherry furniture is made to a higher standard and it's still made from real, solid American black cherry wood. In contrast, many of the well known "American" furniture companies from North Carolina now use Asian woods like rubberwood which they stain and call "cherry".
So it's no wonder that customers come to us with many questions as they seek to find and purchase authentic American black cherry wood furniture. I thought I'd round up five of our previous blog posts written in response to customer questions about "cherry wood furniture" in hopes of streamlining your research on the subject. Feel free to post your own questions and comments below or on our Facebook.
American Made Storage Beds From Vermont: Best Sellers
Our friends at Copeland Furniture in Bradford, Vermont have come out with what I think is America's best selection of storage beds. Apparently our customers agree because these platform beds with under-bed storage were our best sellers last week.
Perfect for apartment or condo living Copeland's modern beds are designed for both comfort and style. This one, the Horizon Bed is shown in a dark chocolate stain over maple wood although several lighter stain colors are also available.
Each piece in the Horizon bedroom furniture collection is handmade in Vermont with solid, sustainably harvested maple wood and carries our Vermont Woods Studios Lifetime Guarantee.
Copeland offers several other storage bed designs including the Berkeley Storage Bed, the Monterey Storage Bed, the Dominion Storage Bed and the Harbor Island Storage Bed. These American made platform beds literally do the heavy lifting when it comes to under-bed storage and customers appreciate the high quality and craftsmanship that's become synonymous with Copeland Furniture's brand. We think you will too!
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